Newcastle United fans received some huge news prior to this weekend's Premier League action.

Mikel Merino has turned his loan move from Borussia Dortmund into a permanent one by signing a five-year contract.

When the Magpies struck an agreement with Dortmund in the summer, an option to trigger a full-time stay was included in the deal.

Rather than wait until the end of the season, Rafael Benitez and the club have decided to secure Merino's services now, presumably to stop other clubs from sniffing around in January.

The 21-year-old has been a welcome addition to the North-East outfit, playing in all seven league matches, six of which had the midfielder in the first XI.

As expected, Newcastle fans were delighted to see that Merino has committed himself to the club.

Benitez's men head into Sunday's match against Southampton at St Mary's ninth in the table.

The team have picked up three wins, one draw and three defeats.

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